SOLDIER- SAVIOUR

While writing a  review of ‘Man  of Steel’ it suddenly  struck me  that the title is appropriate for  our personnel in uniform who have steely dedication and warm hearts as they rescue thousands from  the fury of nature in Uttaranchal. They are working  round the clock, planning rescue strategies by night and  implementing them in the day, as the weather permits.
Ignoring their personal safety, braving adverse weather conditions, personnel of India's uniformed forces have been racing against time to save lives in devastation-hit Uttarakhand, driven by a sense of purpose and motivated by the hope in the eyes of the hapless survivors.

Rescue operations
Personnel of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force (IAF), ITBP, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and NDRF have been toiling in the Badrinath and Kedarnath regions and some other upper reaches of the mountainous state to rescue thousands of pilgrims stranded due to flash floods that have hit the area.

According to media releases a group of 101 persons, including 21 children, were safely evacuated by the special operations C-130J aircraft, on June 20, 2013. This aircraft is customized for covert special operations and is capable of landing at makeshift and short runways. The IAF has so far flown around 150 sorties and evacuated over 1,400 people from places, including the worst-affected Kedarnath-Gaurikund axis. IAF Mi-17 transport helicopters flying continuously rescued foreign tourists and Indian civilians from the Gangotri area at Dharasu in Uttarakhand state on June 22, 2013.

Relief & rehabilitation efforts

 The  efforts  by  the  Indian  personnel in  uniform  are manifold as is evident  as  more reports  of  rescue and relief efforts come in. The rescue over,  focus then shifts towards tending to the  injured and  helping the evacuees re-establish contact  with their  families and  sending them back home safely.

Military helicopters have been dropping emergency supplies  to thousands of people stranded by flash floods.

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), has set up camps at various places to provide food, medicine and shelter to those affected. The Indian Army has launched what could be one of the biggest human rescue operations ever in the country, in Uttarakhand. It has been carrying out reconnaissance to examine the feasibility of making a larger helipad at Gagaria on Hemkund Sahib axis so that large number of people can be evacuated using MI-17 helicopter. Efforts are also underway to repair the bridge over Alaknanda between Govindghat and Ghagria on Hemkund Sahib road.

 The Army has opened road up to Uttarkashi after clearing 16 landslides. Communication nodes have been established at Gaucher, Harsil, Joshimath and Rudraprayag to enable people to contact their families. 30 Satellite phones have so far been inducted, 20 more are likely to be inducted for use by stranded pilgrims. Medical personnel of the Indian Defence Forces are tending to patients at a make-shift field hospital that tore through towns and temples in northern India and neighbouring Nepal.

We as  a nation are still coming  to terms  with the aftermath of  this  natural calamity. The role of  utmost importance  played by the  defence personnel has come to the fore yet  again. The same set of  people  whom we, the  general  public  remember only on national holidays. Many a times we debate  about the need of maintenance and upgradation of the forces. It would  be  unfair  to  remember them only now, in face of this adversity.  The routine tasks that they carry out as they guard our  borders, in extreme climatic conditions and  treacherous  terrain  on  a  daily  basis are  just as laudable. Kudos to these people in uniform!